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Well those are some great US cities to visit. I can't believe you went to Austin! That's one of my favorite cities in the country! I didn't realize it was tourist destination for Europeans.
But to contribute to the thread, of the places I've been, Lubbock Texas has got my vote. Very depressing city and Lubbock County was the largest dry county in the United States until this past May.
Well those are some great US cities to visit. I can't believe you went to Austin! That's one of my favorite cities in the country! I didn't realize it was tourist destination for Europeans.
But to contribute to the thread, of the places I've been, Lubbock Texas has got my vote. Very depressing city and Lubbock County was the largest dry county in the United States until this past May.
I must correct you. Lubbock County hasn't been dry in many years. The City of Lubbock was dry, but alcohol was available just outside the city limits and in other cities in the County. Other than the 15 minute drive for alcohol, what did you find sad about it?
Well those are some great US cities to visit. I can't believe you went to Austin! That's one of my favorite cities in the country! I didn't realize it was tourist destination for Europeans.
But to contribute to the thread, of the places I've been, Lubbock Texas has got my vote. Very depressing city and Lubbock County was the largest dry county in the United States until this past May.
Well, I have been going to the U.S. as an exchange student. My host family lived in Atlanta and had relatives in Austin, Charleston and Denver. I can tell Austin has been my favorite destination.
I must correct you. Lubbock County hasn't been dry in many years. The City of Lubbock was dry, but alcohol was available just outside the city limits and in other cities in the County. Other than the 15 minute drive for alcohol, what did you find sad about it?
It's just very flat, dull, brown, in the middle of no where, high crime rate for a city its size, and there are just some things that didn't like about Texas Tech. It's just a place I would personally find very depressing to live. Granted, I said of places I've been. There are plenty of places much sadder than Lubbock outside the US.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJay
Well, I have been going to the U.S. as an exchange student. My host family lived in Atlanta and had relatives in Austin, Charleston and Denver. I can tell Austin has been my favorite destination.
Oh well that's cool! I'm glad you enjoyed your time in Austin and the United States!
[quote=wpmeads;11462861]It's just very flat, dull, brown, in the middle of no where, high crime rate for a city its size, and there are just some things that didn't like about Texas Tech. It's just a place I would personally find very depressing to live. Granted, I said of places I've been. There are plenty of places much sadder than Lubbock outside the US.
Don't know when you visited, but it sounds like your experience there wasn't very positive. Certainly it's not for everyone, but I would suggest that it's a relatively happy city in these times, with the lowest unemployment rate in Texas and one of the lowest in the United States.
How can you tell if people in a place are sad or happy if you've never been there?
People in Zurich, Switzerland seemed harried, annoyed, and preocupied with making money as they brushed past us in their uniform business suits and black hats.
The naked children sleeping on streetcorners and selling necklaces for 10 Rupees in New Delhi were one of the saddest sights I have seen.
The Kashgar Ughyrs talking about how the Chinese forced them out of their 300-year-old homes and into flimsy pre-fabs that fall down at the drop of a hat for "Earthquake Safety" had a sort of frightening slow-burning rage behind their eyes as they spoke to us.
The prostitutes and "love hotel" staff in Xi'an seemed more tired, bored, and lifeless than anyone else we've met on our travels.
you write so descriptive and made something beautiful out of sadness. You seem very world travelled and observant especially in the details. How does ones mind handle this??? Very good post.
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. Yet another coup d'etat, yet another dictator.
Freetown, Sierra Leone. Still recovering from years of strife. A friend of mine lost her dad and brother who were macheted.
Monrovia, Liberia. Another city recovering from strife.
Surprisingly, Kigali seems to be doing okay. Rwanda's economy grew by 9.9% and inflation is a low 3.2%. Bujumbura is in worse shape than kigali.
I visited Managua the last 2 summers and it is definitely a saddened place in a sad, sad country. Most Nicaraguans are living desperate lives in a country without any economy what so ever. Millions have fled to anywhere and everywhere, but mainly near by Costa Rica.
The despair comes about because the country was beaten by the US and is still being punished by the US. People have little hope in either the "Left', Right, or Center and feel personally that their future is grim. Meanwhile the standard of living approaches that of Haiti's. And the older generation has many war scars both physical and mental that will not truly ever be healed.
Daugavpils Latvia (population 120k), though it probably has improved since I was there in 1994. The city is 80% Russian but Latvia would only take 1000 Russian immigrants per year. That left a large segment of the population without support. A teacher doing well would make 40 Lats per month ($2=1 Lat). 32 lats would go into the flat. Taxes and utilities are paid from that. They would live on the rest. Most could not think about shopping at the bazaar where most goods came from the EU (Latvia is an EU member today). Many people simply gave up.
There was greater happiness in the rural areas where people were more self-sufficient.
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